My house smells like the heavens above.

Greetings, friends!  In my house, you know it's fall when I fire up the oven and start baking up a STORM.  This weekend was no exception to that rule that I just made up.

The recipes:

• Quinoa and Chickpea Pilaf (from Veganomicon, which Jane scored for $1 at Urban Outiftters!!!!)

I feel weird about posting the recipe verbatim from the book, especially since I didn't tweak it, but I will say that it was easy and so delicious.  It also made a ton!  I love the Indian flavors, and I pince'd the tomato paste and seasonings just like Jenna taught us in (one of my new staple recipes) her Channa Masala.

I recommend checking out Veganomicon if you are looking for some simple and tasty recipes, vegan or otherwise!

• Apple Butter (from Eating Bird Food)

With the bounty of apples Autumn gave to me last week, I knew this recipe was in the cards.  My Aunt Holly made apple butter when I was little, and since I idolize and worship many members of my family (yes, I am in therapy), I always assumed that AB was mad challenging to make.  In reality, it's a cinch! 

This recipe does call for a crock pot, but you could easily make it in a dutch oven, either in the oven or on top of the stove.  I loved making this because of the heavenly, autumnal aroma it produced, but also because I got to bust out my immersion blender, one of my favorite gadgets.  If you don't have one, allow me to flick you between the eyes and say... ok, you could use a potato masher.  Or a food processor.  But let me tell you, the stick blender is badass!  Pick one up, especially if you love to make soups.  It's affordable, powerful and it'll change your life.

I loved this recipe because it made a TON of AB, despite the fact that I halved it.  One jar for me, one for Autumn (the apple bearer) and a cute squirt bottle for my house.

Oh, and if you've never tried AB, it's essentially a concentrated homemade applesauce.  Great on toast, oatmeal and many other delicious carbies.

• Pumpkin Butter (from Eating Bird Food/KERF)

I had never had pumpkin butter before, but my compulsion to sample all things pumpkin in my short, beautiful life prompted me to make this.  I have five words for you: pumpkin pie on a spoon.  Oh, and super simple.  Like, dump-everything-in-a-Pyrex-and-microwave simple.

• Healthy Carrot Cake Power Scuffins (from Oh She Glows)

Angela makes the best baked goods (Pumpkin Spice Scones, anyone?); indeed, she is one of my very favorite recipe-writers!  Her scuffins caused quite a stir (ba dum ching!) in the blog world, and rightfully so.  I made two batches: vegan and regular.  Some for the house, some for the office.  You know, to spread the love.  The carroty, coconutty (I subbed coconut oil for olive oil) muffin-top love. 

So there you have it: my weekend in baked goods/sweet condiments/grains.  I'm off to assume the fetal position and calculate how many scuffins I can eat without popping.